Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) for OCD?

I won’t be able to bring some new information on OCD today, unfortunately, but here’s a taster for tomorrow: there is a non-invasive method (external and non-surgical) that might be of interest for the treatment of OCD. It goes by the impressive name: repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS); and to put it very succinctly: electromagnetic pulses get focused precisely upon a specific brain area; their strength and frequency is standardized (so it’s certainly not a shot in the dark); and thus tiny stimulating currents can be induced in that area.

Just now I found a couple of encouraging scientific articles on this technique, in regard to OCD; and moreover, rTMS has proven to be efficacious in patients with major depressive disorder.

Actually, it has been become more prominent over time, as a treatment option, and it even is preferred over some of the less specific chemical antidepressants that are in use.

So though work still needs to be done, the articles that I quickly scanned are promising. I think the advantages of rTMS over pharmaceutical treatment are pretty obvious: the side effects that these have aren’t to be expected.

And, hey, I myself underwent rTMS sessions about a year ago, in a different context, but I can report first hand about what one experiences.